Ok! It was with great shame that I took these books (this one and the next three reviews) out of the children’s section of my local library, shame and trepidation.

Shame that my lack of reading speed had brought me to books I could read as quickly as possible, like these fighting fantasy series aimed at 7 year old and up with, gulp I can hardly bear to write this… pictures…sigh…yes that’s right… PICTURES.

Trepidation as my flirtation with the Goosebump series was like having my brain gently cheese grated. BUT-

Even though I am still ashamed, a bit, after I read the first one I seized on the next happily as (drum roll please, you will have to imagine one as I don’t know how to link sound files) THESE WERE FAB! And have a kick arse female protagonist along side the male one. Now THAT…THAT…is progress!

There are about eight books in each series where Tom and Elena have to thwart a specific villain across the books and battle a terrifying beast that evil magic has made. In this series it is the Pirate king and in this book he has made a giant tiger with a scorpion’s tale.

Also I know there is a 100page limit on this race and these are all at least that, but I don’t know if there is a book age limit, I didn’t check so apologies if I have broken rather than bent the rules.